Ellen 
Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden has named California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice Presidential pick. As San Francisco’s District Attorney and California’s Attorney General, Harris upheld California’s medical marijuana law. Since being elected to the Senate, she has come on strong for federal marijuana law reform as the Senate sponsor of the Marijuana …
Read moreBiden Picks CA Senator Kamala Harris as Running Mate
The California Department of Public Health has undertaken a busboard campaign claiming that marijuana and vapes produce similar second-hand smoking dangers as tobacco. The ads reference a TobaccoFreeCA webpage warning that secondhand marijuana smoke is cancer-causing and harmful to the brain, lungs, and heart. A subpage titled, “Exposure to Secondhand Smoke from Marijuana is Dangerous,” …
Read moreCA DPH Misrepresents Cannabis Smoke & Vape Hazards Using Anti-Tobacco Funds
UPDATE August 3, 2020 – The City Council heard the item and took public comment; however due to technical difficulties with local internet access not all members of the public we able to participate in the meeting. It was decided to keep the public hearing open and continue the discussion at the August 17 …
Read moreWest Hollywood To Consider Banning Marijuana Smoking in New Apartment Buildings
July 14, 2020 – Arrest data released by the California Dept. of Justice show there were 1,181 felony marijuana arrests in California in 2019, down 27% from 2018 (1,617 arrests) and the lowest number since 1954. Hispanics accounted for 493 or 41.7% of arrests; blacks for 263 (22.3%) and whites for 252 (21.3%). Males were 87.9% …
Read moreRacial Arrest Disparities Increase as Marijuana Arrests Decline in California
By Dama Financial Myth 1: It is illegal for Banks to serve Cannabis-related Businesses because marijuana is illegal under federal law. The Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) makes it illegal under federal law to manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana. However, 10 states plus Washington D.C. have fully legalized marijuana and 33 states have legalized it for …
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED. June 28, 2020 – Proposition 64 (the Adult Use of Marijuana Act or AUMA), which California voters passed in November 2016, allowed people with past marijuana convictions to petition the court for expungement or resentencing. AB 1793 (Bonta), to automatically expunge or resentence certain past marijuana crimes without requiring the …
Read moreClearing of Past Marijuana Crimes Moves Forward Across California
RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND CANNABIS IN CALIFORNIA Wednesday, July 1 • 4 PM Listen to audio of the meeting: Part 1 Part 2 (starts with attorney Roxanne Mosley) 70120.m4a Find out how you can support racial justice and equity in the cannabis industry in your city or county, and at the state level in …
Read moreRacial Justice, Equity, and Cannabis Addressed at Cal NORML’s July 1 Meeting
June 18, 2020 – Two new reports, taken together, have found that California communities where huge racial disparities in marijuana arrests have been happening for decades are spending cannabis tax dollars to increase their police budgets since the passage of Prop. 64. The two reports are: • When the Smoke Clears: Racial Disparities in …
Read moreLinks Between Cannabis Racial Arrest Disparities and Tax Dollars for Police Studied
UPDATE 6/30/2020 – We have had several reliable, confirmed reports that police in San Francisco and Oakland are warning cannabis businesses that a second wave of robberies could happen over the July 4 weekend, especially on Saturday when police will be busy with fireworks celebrations, etc. Businesses are advised to take precautionary safety measures. It …
Read moreConsumer Warning: CA Cannabis Stores Being Hit with Robberies, Closures and Curfews
Arm yourself with resources for expanding cannabis rights in your community! Get involved in Cal NORML’s Smoke the Vote campaign by getting informed about and active in local elections coming up in October/November for county supervisors, city councilpersons, DAs and Sheriffs. The battleground for cannabis rights has often shifted to the local level, where many …
